Draft-equalizer.



W. ELLIOTT s R. H. SGHLAGHTER.

. DRAFT EQUALIZER.

IOATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

Patented Feb. l, 1910.

WILLIAM ELLIOTT AND ROBERT H. `SCE-ILACHTEHEt, 0F SIGNORS TO DEMPS'IER MILL MANUFACTURING NEBRASKA.

:BEA'IRICE, NEBRASKA, AS-

COMPANY, OF BEATRICE,

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

aereas.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, l/ViLnIAM Ennio'r'r and ROBERT I-I. ScI-ILacl-Irnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Beatrice, in the county of Gage and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates for wheel cultivators, or other wheeled agricultural implements or vehicles, and especiallyto devices for equalizing the draft of four horses, two on each side of the machine, or of five horses, the fifth animal being placed between the tongues, in the center of the machine.

Another object of our construction is to overcome the downward strain, or neckweight, usually produced on the necks of the horses by the pressure on the tongues due to the fact that the forward ends of the plowbeams are usually attached, in implements of this class, either directly or indirectly, to the tongues in front of the axle of the cultivater. We counteract this neckweight by providing for the application of the trac-` tion power at points in the machine as low down as is compatible with its proper operation.

Another peculiarity of our construction consists in the use of rotatable draw-bars mounted to rotate in bearings attached to the frame, to which bars the traction power is applied in such a manner that the equalization is effected by the rotation of the bars.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of our devices applied to a cultivator, the parts of the machine not immediately involved in our invention being omitted. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a bellcrank lever and its connections forming part of our device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section, on the line III- III of Fig. 1.

l indicates the main sill or axle of the machine, to the ends of which are pivoted the crank axles 2.

3 and l are members of the main frame.

5 indicates the poles or tongues projecting forward from the frame, rigidly secured thereto, and practically forming a part thereof. To the tongues 5 are secured sleeves 6, which form bearings for one end of rotatable draw-bars 7.V The other bearings for said draw-bars are the loose Sleeves to draft-equalizers l Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed June 21, 1909.

8 rigidly secured on of the implement.

Tatented Feb. 1, 1910. Serial No. 503,506.

the rods 9 extending 5 and supported by the frame. The outer ends of the bars 7 carry rigidly attached, downwardly projecting draft-bars 10, provided with swingletrees at their lower ends. The inner ends of bars 7, inside the tongues 5, carry upwardly projecting and rigidly attached radial arms l1, said arms being pivotally connected by rods 12 with equalizer-bars 13. On draw-bars 7, between the bearings 6 and 8, are mounted loose sleeve brackets lll, to which are rigidly secured vertical draft-levers l5, having a rocking movementon bars 7, to the lower ends of which levers swingletrees are attached. The upper ends of said levers 15 are pivotally connected, by rods 16, with equalizer-bars 13.

The equalizer-bars 13 are pivoted about centrally, by bolts 17, (see Figs. 2 and 3) to the outer ends of horizontally pivoted bellcrank levers 18. Said bell-cranks are pivoted, at their angles, on bolts 19 set in brackets 20 secured on the tongues 5; and a chain or rod 21 extends fromeach of the forwardly extending arms of bell-cranks 18 to the corresponding arm on the opposite side of the machine. Curved braces 22 are pivoted on the lower ends of bolts 19 and extend upwardly to the bolts 17, thus forining a swinging support for the pivotal connection of equalizer-bars 13 with bellcranks 18.

In operation it will be seen that when tracfrom the 'tongue tion is applied to the draft-bars 10 the draw-` bars 7 will be rotated rearwardly, carrying with them the radial arms 11, which will push against connecting-rods 12, and tend to rotate equalizer-bars 13 on their pivots 17. Traction being also applied to the lower ends of draft-levers 15, said levers will rock on bars 7, push against rods 16, and tend to rotate equalizer-bars 13 in a direction contrary to the force coming from draft-bars 10. Equalizer-bars 13 being pivoted at 17 to arms of crank-levers 18, the result of the opposing forces will be that said arms will be rotated backward to the limit of their movement, and the machine will be drawn forward; the power attached to the members 10 and 15 being thus equalized on each side When the implement is used as a fourhorse equalizer the chain 21 will preferably connect directly the forward arm of bellcrank 18 on one side of the machine with the corresponding arm on the other side; or a rigid rod may be substituted for the chain; or other suitable means may be provided for fixing the proper limit to the rotation of the bell-cranks on their pivots 19; thus balancing the power of the two horses on one side of the implement against that of those on the opposite side.

Vhen the machine is used as a five-horse equalizer the fifth horse travels between the tongues. A suitable bracket 23 is provided, secured on the frame midway between the tongues, and on said bracket is pivotally mounted a bell-crank 24, the same having a pendent arm to which a swingletree is attached, and a substantially horizontal arm extending rearwardly and carrying at its inner end a rotatable sheave or roller 25, which bears against the chain Q1. Said chain passes over supporting rollers 2G mounted on bracket 23, and connects with the forward arms of bell-cranks 18, before described. It is obvious `that traction applied to crank 24 will draw on cranks 18, and tend to rotate them against the force coming from the equalizer-bars 13. The pendent arm of bell-crank 24 is made considerably longer than the horizontal arm, to compensate for the fact that the center horse will work against the power exerted by the four other horses.

Other flexible means for connectingthe bell-cranks on opposite sides of the implement may be substituted for the chain 21; the proper modifications being made in the means for applying the power of the fifth horse to such flexible connection.

The respective proportions of all the parts described will be such as to secure the proper action and result.

Various changes may be made in the details of our device, especially in the position, arrangement, and adjustment of the parts without departing from the essential principle and spirit of our invention; and we therefore do not limit our claims to the precise details described.

Having described our invention, we claim as new 'and desire to secure by Letters Iatent:

1. In a wheeled cultivator or other wheeled agricultural implement, or vehicle, in com-A bination with a main frame, a rotatable draw-bar mounted in bearings carried by thfx frame, a pendent radial draft-bar and an extending radial arm, both rigidly secured on said bar, a draft-lever mounted to rock on said draw-bar, an equalizer-bar pivotally mountedv rearwardly from said draw-bar, and connecting-rods between the ends of said equalizer-bar and said radial arm and draftlever.

' 2. In an implement of the class described, iin combination with the frame,van equalizing device comprising rotatable draw-bars on each side of the implement, suitable bearings for said draw-bars, pendent radial draft-bars and extending radial arms, both secured on said draw-bars, draft-levers mounted to rock on said draw-bars, equalizing-levers mounted horizontally in rear of said draw-bars, connections between the ends of said equalizing-levers and said radial arms and draft-levers, bell-cranks pivoted on the frame and forming the pivotal support for said equalizing-levers, and means extending across the center of the implement for connecting said bell-cranks.

3. In a draft-equalizer, the combination of the supporting frame, rotatable draw-bars mounted in line thereon, radial draft-bars and radial arms extending from said drawbars, draft-levers mounted to rock on said draw-bars, bell-cranks pivoted horizontally on the frame, equalizing-levers pivoted on said bell-cranks, connections between said equalizing-levers and said draft-levers and radial arms, a flexible connection across the machine between said bell-cranks, a bracket secured to the frame, a bell-crank pivoted on said bracket, said crank having a pendent arm for the attachment of draft, and an inwardly extending arm carrying a roller bearing on said flexible connection.

t. In an implement of the class described, in combination with the frame, an equalizing device comprising rotatable draw-bars on each side of the implement, pendent radial draft-bars and extending radial arms, both secured on said draw-bars, draft-levers mounted to rock on said draw-bars, equalizing-levers mounted in rear of said drawbars, connections between the ends of said equalizing-levers and said radial arms and' draft-levers, and means for flexibly connecting the equalizing-levers on opposite sides of the implement.

5. In a draft-equalizer, the combination of the frame, rotatable draw-bars mounted' thereon, on each side of the implement, radial draft-bars and radial arms extending from said draw-bars, draft-levers mounted to rock on said draw-bars,bell-cranks pivoted on the frame, equalizer-bars pivoted on said bell-cranks, connections between said equalizer-bars and said draft-levers and radial arms, a flexible connection across the implement between said bell-cranks, and means provided in the central portion of the implement for applying draft to said flexible connection, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM ELLIOTT. ROBERT I-I. SCHLAOHTER.

lVitnesses F. D. STONE, D. W. CARRE. 

